Moving from London

[Michael]

Enjoyed the read (article in the Mail), sums things up quite nicely, but as you say_ _ _.a bit glossy. Blair was brilliant at the Traders Street Party last week.

[Pugliese]

[quoted]
Michael wrote:
Enjoyed the read (article in the Mail), sums things up quite nicely, but as you say_ _ _.a bit glossy. Blair was brilliant at the Traders Street Party last week.
[/quoted] Yes he was on top form - Old Town Week - another of the 'great' elements of Hastings

[Orange]

Thanks Pugliese (are you from Puglia? I am)

really appreciate your time and kind offer to show us around. We have a couple of dear friends that have made the move down from London last year, bought a beautiful 3 storey house by the sea In Hastings and currently restoring it. We will visit them next weekend and have a chat with them as well. As far as I understand, the totally love living there.

Would you recommend an area more than another? What I miss is the sense of community . I would love to walk about with my baby and bump into people and, actually, say Hello! such a rare thing here in London these days.

Thanks as ever

[Pugliese]

Sono nato a Londra! Just fell in love with the people and area about 10 years ago, so bought and restored a small group of trulli and olive grove just outside Alberobello. Where are you from?

Its good you have some freinds here as they should be able to show you the good and the bad areas. Even though I have been here several years, I only know a few of Hastings areas so am not qualified to give you a comprehensive guide. Also our requirements will be different to yours with a young family. So given those caveats, I would say that if you can afford it buy as close to the Old Town as possible and that will give you the mix of close to the sea and community you are after. Like others have said, the Clive Vale and West Hill areas are close enough, good mix of housing for most budgets and has in the Clive Vale area (according to league tables) the 2nd best primary school in Sussex. It is an RC school with as you would expect horrendous waiting lists, so my guess is that if you are a practicing RC you would stand a better chance of admission although you would probably need to get your childs name down now. The shool is St.Mary's Star of the Sea and is tied to the beautiful RC church in the High Street of the same name.
And as for community, we can rarely go into the Old Town and not meet people we know - and we live in Ore. So if you are an outgoing person I am sure you would soon make many freinds, particularly with a young baby.

Feel free to PM me if you want anymore specific information or would like an introduction to St. Mary Star of the Sea as I know the Priest, Father Seamus quite well.

[Michael]

Have to agree with those comments by Pugliese, Clive Vale area is pretty good, and has a couple of primary schools, a good mix of housing and a good community feel_ _ _also we have a nice local, the Ashburnham Arms, enjoy your visit.

[Michael]

Funny reading the above_ _ _.we visited Ostuni in 2006, had a wonderful time and we did consider buying one of those Trulli places (a local agent drove us around the area_ _ _a good way of having a look around, if nothing else) doing it up and having it as a holiday home. We then had a long delay on the flight home from Brindisi (bloody Ryan Air) and decided the time wasn't right for us to do it and to be fair we haven't considered buying abroad since.

[Pugliese]

[quoted]
Michael wrote:
Have to agree with those comments by Pugliese, Clive Vale area is pretty good, and has a couple of primary schools, a good mix of housing and a good community feel_ _ _also we have a nice local, the Ashburnham Arms, enjoy your visit.
[/quoted]

As an aside to this topic, what is the Ashburnham Arms like? Have lived in Marianne Park (Colditz by Sea!) and now in Ore at the top of Clive Vale but never been in there.

_ _ _.and if you are interested in seeing what we have done - www.romanticpuglia.co.uk

[Michael]

It's nice enough and handy if you don't fancy the walk down to the Old Town. The Chinese (peking) is pretty good too (Mount Road).

[Mymblesdaughter]

Orange, can I put a word in for St Leonards. I don't know about the schools but when we moved we were put off with negative comments about the area. When we actually looked in St Leonards we really liked it. It's generally very quiet and has lots of lovely flats and houses. From what I hear it seems to be an area that is generally on the up. We really like it here. The area around the top of Pevensey Road, Markwick Terrace, Dane Road is a great area and not far to walk to the centre and seafront.

I'm another lover of Italy, we have a small apartment in Le Marche.

[Orange]

Pugliese - I'm from Bari but also have some family in Ostuni. My partner and I (he is English) have spent a beautiful couple of weeks in their trullo just outside Ostuni a couple of years ago. Waking up in the morning and picking up fresh figs off the tree for breakfast was idyllic, so it was spending nights eating al fresco and listening to some good live jazz in Cisternino and Locorotondo. And its wine..mmm..better stop talking about it. Fond memories.

I have been in London for the past 10 years, working in marketing for restaurants, but now that I am on maternity and after a substantial pay cut at work, I am reconsidering going back to the same old job.

At 40 next year, I feel like it is time for another change, before our little one starts school. I just need to look around and see what job opportunities Hastings and its surroundings have to offer. That is the scary bit really.

Mymblesdaughter - we have seen some beautiful properties (online) in St Leonards. Just like you, we have been put off by similar comments but we have never visited the are really, so it could be a possibility.

I am just thrilled to have found a bunch of lovely and helpful people on this forum - I will let you know how it goes after our visit at the weekend!